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With a 92 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a legion of fans, 2018 Indonesian action thriller The Night Comes for Us is a masterclass in raw storytelling and visceral intensity.
The 2018 action thriller The Night Comes for Us is a standout hit, boasting an impressive 92 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its unflinching narrative and raw, intense delivery.
Crafted by Timo Tjahjanto, the piece initially took life as a script, underwent transformation into a graphic novel, and ultimately found its form as a film.
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The movie brought together Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais, previously noted for their pairing in The Raid: Redemption. Alongside them, the film features Julie Estelle, Sunny Pang, Zack Lee, and Shareefa Daanish.
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Renowned for its ferociously intense combat scenes saturated with graphic violence, The Night Comes for Us follows ex-triad heavy Ito (played by Joe Taslim), who goes rogue to shield a young girl from his criminal brethren, consequently putting himself in the crosshairs of his former syndicate and a horde of lethal hitmen, including a showdown with his old pal Arian, played by renowned Pencak Silat figure Iko Uwais.
Reflecting on the production process, Joe Taslim shared his perspective with Film School Rejects, saying: "All the credits for choreography, I think, goes to Iko Uwais and his team. They design all the fights, the structures. He would jump in to give his ideas to shape the fights, to freshen up the tone of the movie and stuff. This movie was supposed to happen actually in 2014 and something happened so it has to be in a coma.", reports the Express.
Movie star shared insights on preparations for their action role, said, "So we trained actually three, four years ago for the movie. We refreshed the training but we changed a little bit of the choreography."
In 2022, director Timo Tjahjanto hinted that although a sequel to his successful film is not yet confirmed, he remains optimistic. Tjahjanto has said a sequel has been developed centring around Julie Estelle's character, The Operator.
Robert Liefeld, the co-creator of Deadpool and Cable, offered glowing praise for the movie and its director by taking to social media platform X (once known as Twitter) to express his admiration.
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Liefeld said: "Give Timo Tjahjanto ALL the money for Deadpool 3! ! ! ! Holee mother of God, I have seen the future of action films and it is TIMO TJAHJANTO! !".
He continued to laud Indonesian cinema's significant impact on the global action film scene, urging for these talented directors to be given big comic book projects to work on. He even proposed the prospect of a standalone Cable movie under @Timobros' direction, predicting a groundbreaking result.
Despite receiving criticism for its graphic violence and gore, the film impressed numerous critics, with one saying: "This is incredibly violent to the point of disturbing. Nonetheless, the fight scenes are some of the best I've ever seen. But this is a very dark and depressing story."
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Another review provided a positive spin, said: "The Night Comes For Us is a dynamite two hours and for those of us missing the action films of old, it's a breath of fresh air."
Speculation is rife about the potential for "The Night Comes for Us" to expand into a series, with one reviewer stating: "Action fans could hardly wish for anything more than what's served up in The Night Comes for Us. The film's hardcore constituency will be wanting more of this from [Timo] Tjahjanto, and a sequel, prequel, or even franchise would not surprise from here."
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In critical acclaim, another review added: "An utterly thrilling ride from the first second to the last, The Night Comes For Us is one of the best action movies of recent years."
Filmgoers also demonstrated their exhilaration, as one thrilled viewer said: "As a die-hard action fan, I went into this movie with high expectations-and it still managed to blow me away. The action sequences are intense, brutal, and beautifully choreographed. It's a full-on adrenaline rush from start to finish. This one's a must-watch for any action junkie."
An additional piece of audience feedback read: "I still come back and watch this film from time to time. I love the fight choreography. Even after watching it a few times, I still cringe on a few moments when I see blades go in places they shouldn't. This is right up there with The Raid films for me."
One fan posited that the Indonesian film industry is setting an example for Hollywood, commenting: "Quick, gruesome, stylish which personifies Indonesian movies. Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim were awesome as usual and Hollywood should learn from them."
One viewer was effusive in their praise for the film, stating: "Absolutely fantastic movie. Some of the best action directing and some of the best action choreography I've ever seen. The relationship between Iko and Arian is incredibly tragic and compelling. Exceeded my expectations in every way."

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